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The Journal of North American Herpetology

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The Journal of North American Herpetology ISSN 2333-0694 JNAHThe Journal of North American Herpetology Volume 2017(1): 28-33 29 March 2017 jnah.cnah.org HABITAT UTILIZATION BY THE TEXAS HORNED LIZARD (PHRYNOSOMA CORNUTUM) FROM TWO SITES IN CENTRAL TEXAS WESLEY M. ANDERSON1,2,6, DAVID B. WESTER1,3, CHRISTOPHER J. SALICE4,5, AND GAD PERRY1 1Department of Natural Resources Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA 2Present address: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA 3Present address: Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute and Department of Animal, Rangeland, and Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA 4The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA 5Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA 6Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT — The Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is found in a variety of habitats. Although several studies have been conducted on habitat use by this species, none have been performed in central Texas, a more mesic habitat than most of those previously studied. This area is of special interest because horned lizard populations have been experiencing sharp declines in central Texas over the last approximately 50 years. We collected habitat data at two sites in central Texas, Camp Bowie and Blue Mountain Peak Ranch. Microhabitat data included canopy cover and ground cover from digitized photographs of Daubenmire quadrats; macrohabitat variables included vegetation height and length, cactus height, soil penetrability, woody plant species richness, tree density, tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and density of ant mounds collected along 100-m by 2-m transects. Similar patterns of habitat use were observed between the two sites. At Blue Mountain Peak Ranch, lizards appeared to be located in areas with a diversity of ground cover types, as observed in previous studies. At Camp Bowie, vegetation encroachment limited lizards in some areas to the use of roads and road margins. Implementation of prescribed burns or other vegetation management could create the preferred ground cover mosaic at such sites. INTRODUCTION in coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida The genus Phrynosoma, collectively known as horned (Palmer and Braswell 1995). lizards, contains some of the most distinct examples of Unfortunately, P. cornutum has declined over much North American saurian fauna – both in terms of general of its geographic range. Over the last several decades appearance and aspects of their biology. Phrynosoma populations have declined precipitously in central and species are characterized by a dorsoventrally flattened east Texas and parts of Oklahoma (Carpenter et al. 1993, body, occipital horns, and a primarily myrmecophagous Donaldson et al. 1994; Henke 2003). In Texas the species diet. Other notable characteristics include late maturation has a state designation of threatened (Donaldson et al. – many species do not breed until their second year – 1994). It is also listed as a species of special concern and unusually large relative clutch masses (Pianka and in Colorado and Oklahoma. Hypotheses for the causal Parker 1975). factors for these declines include effects of pesticides, The Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) impact of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis( invicta), is found throughout much of the south-central and habitat loss, and the legacy of collection for the pet or southwestern United States, as well as the northern curio trade (Donaldson et al. 1994). states of Mexico. Throughout this range it occupies a Understanding an organism’s habitat requirements is variety of habitats including shortgrass prairie, mesquite- essential in making informed management decisions. grassland, shrubland, oak savanna, and desert (Price Studies of habitat preferences for P. cornutum have 1990). It has also been transported throughout the been conducted in several localities throughout its range country, largely through intentional collecting by would- including south Texas (Fair 1995; Burrow et al. 2001), be pet keepers, and breeding populations have become northwest Texas (Henry 2009), and Colorado (Montgomery established outside of its native range including areas and Mackessy 2003). Studies focused primarily on © The Center for North American Herpetology 28 habitat use in relation to habitat management, such as to manage plant communities and preserve biodiversity, prescribed burns or grazing have also been conducted, but these activities were mostly suspended during our mostly in Texas (Fair and Henke 1997; Hellgren et al. data collection due to training activities. Blue Mountain 2010; Inslee 2010) but also in Kansas (Wilgers and Peak Ranch is managed primarily for habitat restoration Horne 2006). However, no research on habitat use for in an effort to increase water to the aquifer and increase this species has been conducted in central Texas, where it species diversity on the property. An aggressive has experienced the most dramatic population declines. management plan has been implemented – including Our objective was to provide managers and restoration regular prescribed fires and brush removal – primarily to ecologists with quantitative habitat use data based on reduce Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) density. current lizard encounters. We documented habitat use at Methods — We located individual P. cornutum either two spatial scales: the microhabitat (immediately near by conducting surveys via road cruising at 20 km/h each animal) level and the macrohabitat (patch) level. or less or through fortuitous encounters; lizards were captured by hand. Upon capture we recorded date, time MATERIALS AND METHODS of day, GPS coordinates (UTM, Garmin GPSmap 76CS), Study Area — This study was conducted at two sites and sex. We determined the sex by examining the located 128 km apart in central Texas (Fig. 1). From cloacal region to check for the presence of a hemipenal April 2007 to October 2010 we collected data at Camp bulge and/or femoral pores. Individuals with either of Bowie, a 3,542 ha Texas National Army Guard (TXANG) these characteristics present were recorded as males. training facility located 7 km southeast of Brownwood, in Hatchlings or juveniles that were too small to exhibit these Brown County, Texas, and from June 2008 to November characteristics or those individuals whose sex we could 2010 at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch, a 335 ha private not confidently discern were assigned as “undetermined.” ranch located 29 km southwest of Mason, in Mason Snout-vent length (SVL) and tail length were measured County, Texas. Camp Bowie is managed primarily for with a ruler to the nearest mm and mass was taken training military personnel, although limited hunting using an appropriately-sized spring scale (micro-line and fishing have at times been allowed by permit. Camp spring, PESOLA AG, Baar, Switzerland) to the nearest Bowie has a natural resources management plan, which 0.1 g. We permanently marked individuals larger than includes the use of prescribed fire and brush removal 20 g and 65 mm SVL with a PIT tag (passive integrated Camp Bowie Blue Mountain Peak Ranch Figure 1. Aerial photographs of study sites and associated site boundaries in yellow and red for Blue Mountain Peak Ranch and Camp Bowie, respectively. Journal of North American Herpetology 2017(1) 29 Table 1. Microhabitat ground cover by treatment and encounter type at Blue Mountain Peak Ranch. Each cover type was analyzed with a test of equality of binomial proportions with α = 0.05. Location: site where a lizard was initially seen. Because many lizards were first seen on a road, data for sightings that could be more representative are provided separately. Initial Encounter for All Lizards Initial Off-Road Encounter Ground Location Random Location Random Cover Type (% ± SD) (% ± SD) p-value (% ± SD) (% ± SD) p-value Bare Ground 43.06 ± 23.28 25.44 ± 17.05 < 0.0001 26.89 ± 16.29 30.63 ± 17.94 0.0109 Litter 4.94 ± 8.87 13.50 ± 19.20 < 0.0001 9.79 ± 10.93 11.84 ± 18.26 0.0415 Grass 17.76 ± 19.95 35.00 ± 21.57 < 0.0001 31.63 ± 25.15 24.89 ± 20.37 < 0.0001 Forb 5.00 ± 15.55 5.59 ± 6.29 0.2786 8.37 ± 20.40 5.32 ± 5.41 0.0002 Cactus 0.00 ± 0.00 0.76 ± 4.12 < 0.0001 1.63 ± 7.11 0.26 ± 1.15 < 0.0001 Wood 1.62 ± 5.57 1.97 ± 5.14 0.2726 6.26 ± 12.43 2.79 ± 5.26 < 0.0001 Rock 4.24 ± 7.23 1.97 ± 4.22 < 0.0001 1.05 ± 1.65 0.84 ± 1.57 0.5025 Cobble 1.32 ± 2.28 4.29 ± 7.26 < 0.0001 2.68 ± 4.01 5.58 ± 6.30 < 0.0001 Pebble 22.03 ± 19.68 11.47 ± 10.68 < 0.0001 11.68 ± 11.87 17.84 ± 14.77 < 0.0001 Manmade 0.03 ± 0.17 0.00 ± 0.00 0.2390 0.00 ± 0.00 0.00 ± 0.00 1.0000 transponder tag, ID 100A, Trovan, UK) by implanting it R-1000, Communications Specialists, Inc.) in conjunction subcutaneously on the dorsum slightly anterior to the with a 3-element folded Yagi antenna. right hip with a syringe and 12-gauge stainless steel During the 2009 and 2010 field seasons, we collected needle (Camper and Dixon 1988). Incisions were closed microhabitat data. Upon initial sighting for each lizard (n with superglue. Individuals too small to be PIT tagged = 34), a 0.5 m x 0.5 m (0.25 m2) quadrat constructed of were temporarily marked with a unique code using a rebar was centered at the point of observation with one permanent marker on the ventral side. side oriented north. A photograph of the quadrat was Between 2007 and 2010 lizards from both sites were taken at a constant height of 1 m with a 9.0 megapixel fitted with radio transmitters (Wildlife Materials SOPB- digital camera (PowerShot SX110 IS, Canon).
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